


The Lost Queen

by raeinspace



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Gen, Neverland
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-06
Updated: 2014-01-06
Packaged: 2018-06-07 00:37:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,459
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6777310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/raeinspace/pseuds/raeinspace
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Neverland adventures are over. Emma, Henry and everyone else returned to Storybrook. Except for Regina. The Lost Boys want a mother and Regina knows she has lost Henry to his birth parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Lost Queen

The Lost Queen.

Chapter 1.

She had been rejected by Owen, rejected by Henry and now she was being asked to allow herself to love an entire island filled with boys? Never mind that they had probably been living there for longer than she had been alive. They said they needed her and that they wanted her to stay and be their mother.  
Regina looked towards Hook’s ship. That was the alternative. To go back to Storybrook with Emma’s happy little family reunion, and be pushed further out of Henry’s life by his brand new parents. And the journey! Could she face another month or two just to get back there with the entire Charming family? No.  
So she stood on the shore, bare feet against the golden sand, and waved goodbye to everyone she had ever known, the last reminders of her old life.  
~~  
She had allowed her hair to grow long again, using magic to speed it up after they reached Neverland and it’s amazing anti-aging effects. It streamed freely away from her face in the refreshing wind as she climbed back over the rocks towards the children waiting for her. They seemed a little in awe of her, partly because she was a grown-up and partly knowing that she had been a mother to Henry. For once she didn’t want to be the parent who scolded and made the rules. As one of the smaller boys reached out for her hand, she smiled. Perhaps she didn’t have to be the same type of mother to them as she had been to Henry. They had all shown that they could survive without parents. They just needed someone to love them and to care for them. She could offer to teach them whatever they didn’t know, she could tell them stories – like the real version of the fairy tales, not the lies – and maybe this would be her happy ending.

Chapter 2.

Letter to Henry Mills Swan, Storybrook, from Regina Mills, Neverland:

 

Dear Henry,

I hope by now you understand why I chose to stay. Letting you go was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. As I watched the ship sail further away I realised that we didn’t have a chance for a proper goodbye. That’s why I am writing this letter to you.  
I know time moves differently in our worlds so it’s possibly years will have passed before you receive this. I don’t expect you to reply, I’m entrusting fairy dust to bring it to you and if the residents of Storybrook have begun to mine a new vein of it they’ll want it saved for the journey home.  
I wanted to thank you for all those years you spent as my son, and for helping to free me from being the Evil Queen. You are truly a very special little boy.  
Life here in Neverland is never dull. I’m learning so many new things every day. The Lost Boys have forgiven Peter, sometimes I wonder if it is because they are beginning to forget what happened. That’s why I’m writing to you now. There’s a chance I’m being affected by Neverland, and that soon I might forget the important things I wanted to say to you. Unfortunately, some of the boys are already calling me away so I’m out of time for this letter.  
If I don’t get a chance to write again, tell your mother I am sorry for the curse – except I’m not sorry that you exist because of it. Tell Snow… I’ll write to her and tell her. I hope you and your parents have made it safely back to Storybrook. Remind your father of his promise to me and …  
Well one of the Lost Boys threw my pen into the sea, impatient that I hadn’t finished already so I’m adding these last lines with magic.  
I love you Henry. That’s something I’ll never forget.  
Take care,

Love,

Regina. 

~~  
There were seagulls circling overhead and the laugher of Lost Boys in the background as Regina drew back her arm and threw the glass bottle into the sea. A piece of paper, containing the letter to her once-son, was curled tightly inside. There was a faint pinkish glow of magic surrounding the bottle as it was pulled gently out into the ocean and eventually vanished from sight.  
A young boy with bright red curly hair ran along the beach towards her, shortly followed by the rest of the Lost Boys. They danced around her and took her hands to lead her on to their next adventure.

Chapter 3.

The boy was crying again. Regina paused in the shadows staring at the prison bars made from roughly cut pieces of wood. It isn’t a real prison of course. Nothing so simple could really hold the famous Peter Pan captive. It is simple, barely holding together with tiny snippets of rope, made by the small hands of a group of boys. And because they made it and told him he had to remain there he will. He understands why and he accepts that what he did was wrong.  
The tears tug at Regina’s heart. He is still just a child who made a foolish mistake. Rumplestiltskin took advance of his youth and his innocence to make a deal that affected all of their lives. It isn’t the only life the Dark One tried to ruin, chasing his son. Ironic that Neal was now all grown up, that Rumplestiltskin got his wish too late.  
She knows that Peter won’t accept her words of comfort. He doesn’t trust grown ups. Rumplestiltskin wouldn’t tell them what Peter’s part of their bargain was, but she can guess.  
She tries to offer what little comfort she can, without letting him know that she notices him. Sometimes she will walk a little further away from his cage playing with her magic, creating little shapes in the air and casting light into the darkness of the night. As she passes tonight, she is formulating a new plan.  
The Lost Boys hate Peter’s imprisonment. Punishments only come from grown-ups and Neal had to suggest it to them when they realised Peter had betrayed them. The punishment was a fair way for them to forgive him without banishing him. Peter had been frightened he would be sent away. Some of the older Lost Boys, the ones he had sent out to find Henry, had gradually grown older and older. He knew if he we banished from Neverland he would finally have to grow up. Neal understood. He agreed that it was time for the older boys to leave and promised to find them homes and families in Storybrook. They had begun to lead Peter astray, picking up adult thoughts and ideas. Neal also knew that Peter loved his freedom. Wherever and whenever he wanted to go, there was no-one to stop him. Now he was trapped.  
Regina pulled herself away, headed back to the small cottage the boys had built for her. It was nothing like the mansion she had created for herself in Storybrook, it was better. She had made a few adjustments using her magic – there was no way she would sleep on their idea of a bed – but nothing that would hurt their feelings. The Lost Boys listened to her more now, as they grew to trust her. She told them stories, sometimes the reality of life in the Enchanted Forest and Storybrook, sometimes simple fiction. They would be happy to hear her suggestions that Peter had been a captive long enough. Once he was free they would simply forget anything had ever been wrong. Having Peter still locked in the cage upset them because it was a reminder of darker days. It would have to be their decision though.  
When Peter was finally released he might ask her to leave. Neverland was his island. The Lost Boys were still his Lost Boys. She was just another grown up. 

Chapter 4.

Regina had spent the evening sitting outside around a fire telling stories to the Lost Boys and listening to more of their wild adventures. Every time she tried starting one with the beginning “Once upon a time in Storybrook” Peter interrupted and insisted that she tell another one starring him. The Lost Boys backed him up. They always did. As she headed back to her cottage, Regina caught up to Peter.  
“Why do you hate my stories?” Regina asked him.  
“I don’t.”  
“Why is it when I try to talk about Storybrook…”  
“I don’t want to hear it!” He spoke before she could finish.  
“You see. Tell me what’s wrong.”  
“They’re boring.”  
“Even when I explain how the dragon was defeated?”  
“Well no, not then, but you always skip over the fighting parts.”  
“There’s more to the stories than that.”  
“And there’s never a happy ending.” He added as an afterthought.  
“That’s because those stories haven’t finished yet. While they live, the people are still happy though. They just never know if there will be something else coming around the corner to try and take it away from them. Sometimes people are too busy waiting for a sign confirming they’re in their happy ending, watching out for disaster to strike, that they fail to realise happy endings are in that moment. That was my fault. It was my magic which invoked the curse and sent them away from their homes. Henry made me see…”  
“If Henry was so wonderful why did Rumplestiltskin make that deal with me? Why couldn’t he stop your curse? You keep saying he loves you and you loved him but in your stories he was always running after the mother who left him. You took care of him and then he left you.”  
“He was my son for over ten years. Of course I loved him.”  
“He would never have made a good Lost Boy.” Peter told her.  
“Is that why you don’t like my stories about Storybrook? You don’t like them because Henry’s in them?” Regina realised, speaking her thoughts out loud before she had a chance to stop and think.  
“Why should I care about Henry? You’re our Regina now. He abandoned you.”  
“You don’t need to be jealous, Peter.”  
“I’m not!” In his anger his feet lifted slightly off the ground.  
Regina reached for the front door. “Very well.”  
“Good night, Regina.” He began to float back down.  
She had an idea. “The other boys call me mother. Do you want to?”  
“No.” He shot back up into the air.  
“Okay. It’s up to you.”  
“I can’t have a mother.” He whispered, floating nearly two foot off the ground.  
“Everyone can have a mother.”  
“Not me.”  
“Somewhere out there you had a mother. Wherever she is, she’s still your mother.”  
“Centuries could have passed in her world. People grow old and die there.”  
“Time is a funny thing. Just because you missed the time she lived in her world doesn’t mean she didn’t spend every moment in it thinking about you and loving you.”  
“She never unlocked the window.” Peter reminded her.  
“Did you ever knock and tell her you were there? The window isn’t the only way into a house.”  
“I stopped loving her. Is that wicked of me? When I came back here after I couldn’t open the window, I sat and cried for days. In the end I just decided to stop. That’s why I choose to forget the painful things.”  
“I thought I could never love anyone again after I lost the man I loved. When he died I turned away from my father who loved me. I became the Evil Queen. You aren’t wicked, Peter. I learnt to love again. Its not something you can forget so easily.”  
“I need to think.” Peter rose up past the roof of her cottage.  
“Good night.”  
“I’ll see you in the morning.” He called down to her as he flew away.

Chapter 5.

Emma sat in the cabin, holding Henry tightly against her as he slept. The boat rocked as they passed over rougher patches of water. She didn’t know if they were still in Neverland or if the fairy dust was working and they were able to pass across to the waters near Storyrbook. Her parents were so excited. The additional fairy dust they had found in Neverland might help them to get home.  
Neal came to stand in the doorway, his face serious. He moved his head slightly, requesting her to follow him. She looked down at her son. It was so hard to think about leaving him after all they had been through, but she knew he would be safe. They were on a ship covered in fairy dust. They had found each other despite the forces working against them. She had to trust that he would be fine and try not to become the type of mother who stifled him because of her own fears.  
She gently transferred Henry’s head to the pillow and stood up. Neal led her past the others rooms and into the galley where they could talk, alone. He held her hand as they went, and sat next to her at the table.  
“What’s so important that I had to leave our son?” She asked him.  
“I’ve waited for three days, it can’t wait any longer.”  
“What is it?”  
“You remember when we were getting ready to leave and I was talking to Regina?”  
“Sure, you were whispering for ages but I just figured she was giving you instructions on looking after Henry.”  
“She was and she had some very good advice.”  
“Great. You can tell me when we get home.”  
“No, we need to talk now before our parents wake up. I made a promise to Regina.”  
“She really didn’t trust us that much? We’ll make Henry do his homework before watching TV and give him plenty of fruit and vegetables.”  
“It’s more serious than that. She had a good point. You know how everyone is talking about returning home…”  
“Yes and don’t worry, we’ll find you a job.”  
“Not that home, their home. In the Enchanted Forest.”  
“Oh.”  
“Exactly. Regina pointed out that my father was able to travel to all magical lands as the Dark One, with the exception of Storybrooks. She mentioned that if he set up traps for Henry in Neverland, there may be other dangers waiting for him in the other lands. He’s only really safe in Storybrook while there’s no magic there.”  
“Now that the Dark One’s gone he should be safe though, right?”  
“There’s no way to know what else is waiting for Henry, but the good news is that my father was only looking for a little boy. As soon as Henry has grown up we can return with your parents and travel anywhere we want.”  
“But they’re going to want to leave now, not wait another ten years.”  
“We have to think about Henry, we have to protect him. I promised Regina we wouldn’t let him leave until he is at least eighteen.”  
Emma laughed. “Oh good, because we were so good at staying in one place at that age.”  
“This is serious Emma.”  
“Then we’ll talk to you father and find out what he did and where he went. We can be prepared to fight off whatever he had coming.”  
“That’s not an answer. Fighting doesn’t solve anything. We’d be putting our lives in danger when we could be spending them raising our son.”  
“That’s right, I forgot. You don’t like fighting, you just run away. That’s something you’re really good at.”  
Someone stood in the doorway to the galley and cleared their throat to get the pairs attention.  
“What?” Emma snarled as she looked around for the culprit interrupting them.

Chapter 6.

Peter didn’t bring up the conversation again and Regina tried to leave Henry out of her stories. It was hard, but she consoled herself by spending her time alone remembering him. Peter and the Lost Boys enjoyed showing her the entire island. They were very impressed that she could swim so well – they only splashed around and relied on the mermaids to save them from drowning. Regina used her magic to allow herself to stay under the water for longer, creating something similar to a scuba diving mask to provide her with oxygen and allow her to see clearly. She spent hours exploring the sea immediately around the island. The Lost Boys and Peter joined her until the mermaids became bored and swam away and she was left to use more of her magic to help them. Several days were taken up trying to teach them the basics of swimming. Only Peter wouldn’t try it, claiming that he could fly through the water just as easily as swimming, and hovered over the group teasing and encouraging as the mood struck him.  
~~  
Regina surfaced holding a bright blue shell in her hands and swam towards the shore. She had found it at the bottom of the ocean and wanted to see it in the sunlight. Peter was waiting for her on one of the rocks. He sauntered over to look at her prize.  
“Oh, its just a shell. I thought you might have found some treasure.” He told her.  
“I thought you were out hunting with the Lost Boys today.”  
“I was, but…” Peter shrugged.  
“That’s ok. I was just going to take this home…”  
“Why? It’s just a shell.”  
“It’s pretty.”  
Peter scrunched up his nose, trying to understand as he followed her away from the beach. The action reminded her of Henry and her heart suddenly felt heavier. Perhaps Peter saw something in her face that revealed she was feeling sad, and so he tried changing the subject.  
“Do you want to come treasure hunting?”  
“Sure. I’ll just put this somewhere safe and we can call the others to join us.”  
“I’ll go and find them.”  
~~  
Peter led the group around the beach as he tried to decide where they should start digging. He didn’t have a map, he knew there was treasure somewhere and they just had to think of the right place to dig for it.  
“So is this Hook’s treasure?” Regina asked as they began to dig in the sand.  
“I don’t remember.”  
One of the Lost Boys piped up. “Hook had lots of treasure.”  
“And it’s our job to keep finding it and hide it somewhere else.” Peter told her. “That way if he comes back he can’t take it away again. Some of it belongs in Neverland. The pirates used to try and dig in the caves. They could make holes in the rocks and found lots more treasure. I don’t mind him taking back the things he brought here but if it comes from Neverland then it has to stay in Neverland. That’s my rule.”  
“So it may be Hooks or it may belong to Neverland?”  
“Exactly.”  
“And how do you know which is which?”  
“We don’t.” Another Lost Boy explained.  
Peter laughed. “That’s why we have to keep hiding it to stop him from finding it again.”

Chapter 7.

Flashback:  
Peter’s shadow flew across the cave wall. Regina watched it go and began searching for Henry. Emma and the others were right behind her, but she had insisted on going first, reminding them that her magic could protect her. Neal had forbidden his father from using any more magic. He had threatened to tie him up and leave him on Hooks ship if he even thought about doing any more magic. The threat had amused the Dark One until Regina reminded him that they still had the material Owen and Tamara had used to block her magic and would happily use that to tie him up with. Until Emma gained control of her powers – if Neal would ever be comfortable with her trying – she was the only one using magic. In the end Neal made his father sign a promise that he wouldn’t use his magic, and in return Neal would spend time with him when they returned to Storybrook, knowing that the Dark One couldn’t refuse a bargain.  
She knew they were close, she told herself that they would find Henry and soon they would be going home.

Present:  
The cave was empty now. Regina stood at the narrow pocket where Henry had been trapped by the shadow and reached out her hand. They had nearly been too late. Her magic had saved them when the shadow attacked, distracting it from its target. Neal, Snow, Charming and Hook had held off the Lost Boys, forming a protective barrier at the cave entrance. Emma had climbed up to reach Henry and Rumplestiltskin had cornered Peter. She had chased the shadow around the cave, zapping it with her magic, but it was too fast and almost impossible to stop. One of the older Lost Boys saw what she was doing and attacked her from behind when she was distracted. When she woke she was just in time to see the final moments of the battle. 

Flashback:  
The shadow had re-attached itself to Peter who was hovering near to Henry and Emma. Rumplestiltskin continued to try and talk to him, to cancel their bargain and tell him to forget about Henry that he had changed his mind. He was still bound by his promise to not use his powers so he had been forced to climb up the cave wall for the conversation. Peter appeared to be considering his new offer, but behind him Emma was fighting with his shadow, trying to keep it away from Henry.  
Regina lifted herself up and flew towards the shadow, hand outstretched as she called for her wand. It was time to show the shadow what happened when someone tried to hurt her son. She pierced it with a bright blue light, creating a hole in one shoulder, which quickly healed. She blasted at the sword it had picked up, realising she might have better luck with the physical object. It flew from the shadows hand and she yelled at Emma to get Henry out. She focused on the shadow pouring more light energy at it, but it only stalled it for a few seconds.  
Then she made a mistake. While it was attached to Peter it couldn’t move away from him. As soon as she directed the light at the parts that connected it to Peter, it was free once more. The severing distracted Peter from Rumplestiltskin who took advantage of the moment to throw a lasso rope around him and pull him to the ground.  
Regina turned to look for the shadow. Surely Emma had gotten Henry to safety?  
“Help!”  
She saw Neal and Rumplestiltskin turn out of the corner of her eyes and she turned as well. Emma was lying on the floor of the cave, unconscious and the shadow was hovering menacingly over Henry. Henry was holding out a sword, but the shadow just pressed itself forward and began to pass through it slowly. A sickly yellow-green light appeared around the shadow.  
“No!” Neal was running towards his son  
“Don’t let it touch Henry!” Rumplestiltskin yelled.  
Neal was suddenly there reaching for the shadow. Regina was too far away to do anything. Everything felt as though it was moving in slow motion. She began to teleport herself across the room. By the time she arrived it was too late.

Chapter 8.

Present:  
Regina re-traced her steps. There were marks on the wall where the shadows destructive spell had struck. The place where Rumplestiltskin had broken his promise and used magic to put himself between his son and the spell he had created. It was supposed to erase Henry from existence, to stop him from causing the Rumplestiltskin’s vision to come true. It was strong enough to destroy the Dark One.  
The shadow had flown back to Peter when the spell touched Rumplestiltskin. Henry had been thrown back against the wall, his grandfathers body between him and everyone else. Regina had rolled Rumplestiltskin away from him and taken him into her arms. 

Flashback:  
“He’s alive.” She whispered.  
She didn’t look to see if Neal was all right, or Emma. She brushed Henry’s hair away from his face, healing his cuts and bruises and rocked him gently in her arms, waiting for him to wake up.  
“Regina.” Emma spoke her name, suddenly kneeling beside her and reaching for Henry.  
Regina looked up and saw Neal checking his father. Snow and Charming were standing behind Emma and she knew what she had to do. As gently as she could, she transferred Henry to Emma’s arms.  
“I’ve healed him, but he’ll need to rest.” She said.  
Emma smiled at her. “Thank you.”  
Regina stood up and walked away, trying not to cry. She didn’t care about Neal or Rumplestiltskin so she went over to Hook, to see what he was doing.  
Peter was still tied up and Hook was talking to him in a low tone. She couldn’t hear the words, but he had his hook and sword towards the boy. The Lost Boys were standing away from Peter, listening to Hook.  
I healed Henry, she told herself. Emma couldn’t have done it. When he woke she wanted to tell him that, to let him know that her magic could be used for good.  
“What should we do with them?” She asked, interrupting Hook.  
“Nothing.” Hook surprised her with his words.  
“That boy tried to kill my son.” She reminded him.  
“Because of a deal he made with the Dark One. You of all people should know what that is like.”

Present:  
Regina took one final look back as she left. She had come back after waking from a nightmare where Henry was still trapped in the cave. It had frightened her so much that she knew she had to see it for herself, to reassure herself that Henry was gone and was safe.  
She still dreamt of her reign as the Evil Queen. She remembered all of the bad things she had done, was haunted by the faces of those she had hurt. Those things had never affected her the way this nightmare had. Feeling better, she pressed her hand to the cave entrance causing loose rocks to tumble down and block the access.  
She didn’t think she would be coming back.

Chapter 9.

Emma had locked herself in the cabin with Henry, refusing to speak to Neal. She allowed her mother to bring in food after making her swear not to allow anyone else inside. Snow White tried talking to her, but Emma had made up her mind and she could be just as stubborn as her father when she wanted.  
“Your moth… Regina would understand, kid.” Emma whispered to him when they were finally alone again.  
Henry didn’t answer, he was fast asleep. After everything that had happened she understood. In the moments he did wake, he was happy to stay in the cabin and pick at the food. He wouldn’t talk to her, but he listened when she spoke to him and she had tried to explain that she’d had a fight with Neal and didn’t want to see him at the moment. He’d accepted Snow bringing in the food, but when his grandfather had appeared in the doorway he’d ducked behind Emma and she had to ask him to leave.  
“You are so strong. The way you fought to show me the truth about the fairy tales and Storybrook, how you stood up to Regina even when she regained her powers.”  
Henry sighed and tried to turn over in his sleep. Emma rearranged the blanket around him and continued in a softer voice.  
“Regina would fight for you. I want to fight for you. Your father just doesn’t understand.” She ran a hand through her hair, pushing it back from her face. “And you want to go to the Enchanted Forest, right? To see the places in your book? It’s so different from our world, but life here hasn’t always been great, you know?”  
“Mom?” Henry’s eyes were still closed and she wandered if he was dreaming.  
“Shh, Henry it’s alright. You’re just dreaming.” She whispered.  
“Go to sleep. Talk in the morning.”  
Emma laughed. That was her Henry.  
~~~  
The tray Snow brought with their breakfast on also contained a large bottle, glittering with fairy dust.  
“It was stuck to the side of the ship.” She explained. “Hook pulled it up and saw the name on the paper inside.”  
“A message in a bottle?”  
“Well it doesn’t take magic to figure out who its from, and no-one else knows where we are.”  
Henry looked at the both, his face serious. “Are you going to let me read it?”  
Emma looked at her mother for help, but Snow just shrugged. With everything that had happened between them she wasn’t sure how to answer. Emma passed the bottle to Henry and he opened it carefully.  
Letter in his hands, he looked up at them. “Can I have some privacy?”  
“We’ll wait over there.” Emma told him, moving to the other side of the room and taking her mother with her.  
It was agonising waiting for Henry to finish reading the letter. She was sure he must have read it at least three times before he called them back over.  
“It sounds like she’s having fun.” He said, holding it out to her to read. “I’m glad that she’s going to be happy.”  
Emma glanced down at the words as Snow read over her shoulder.  
“Do you think there’s enough fairy dust to send a reply?” Emma asked.  
Henry smiled at her. “That would be great!”  
“Um, the ship’s still covered in it or you could sneak down to the store room and get some more.” Snow suggested. “I’d like to write to her as well.”  
“Can we not tell Neal about this? I’m still mad at him.”  
“We’ll all write the letters in here and drop the bottle out of the window when they’re sleeping.” Henry told them.

Chapter 10.

The Lost Boys climbed to the tops of the trees, hunting out the best spots to watch for Peter’s return. Regina sat on the grass below, creating a chain of daisies in her lap. She had a picnic waiting for them, but knew they wouldn’t eat until Peter returned and told them about his latest adventure. It was his first trip to the other world since Hook’s ship had sailed away and she knew he was a little nervous about it.  
She completed the chain and held it up to admire it. She suddenly had second thoughts about putting it on her head. It was too much like a crown.  
So she undid the last link and began adding enough additional flowers to turn it into a necklace. As she placed the finished work around her neck, there was a quiet rustling of the bushes. Peter appeared and put a finger to his lips to indicate he didn’t want the Lost Boys to know he was there. He grinned and looked up, letting out an ear-splitting yell which startled the Lost Boys and had Regina quickly reaching to cover her ears. One by one the Lost Boys tumbled out of the trees, just remembering in time that they could fly and miss hitting the ground.  
“That wasn’t very nice.” Regina told him.  
“They’re supposed to be keeping watch for me. They assumed I’d fly back this way and didn’t leave anyone on the ground just in case. It was funny.”  
“They could have been seriously hurt.”  
“It’s not my fault they didn’t fly down.”  
One of the Lost Boys walked over to Regina to show her the scrape on his arm from falling down the tree.  
“We’ll get some cold water and wash it. Then I’ll make a bandage so that it doesn’t bleed everywhere.”  
“I like having a mother.” He told her, smiling and hugging her.  
One by one the other boys came over to show her their war wounds and she agreed to make them all bandages.  
Peter sat down as they walked off, determined to enjoy the picnic. He frowned as he heard them splashing about near the stream, wondering why no-one had laughed at his joke.  
“Look Peter,” the boys told him as they came back. “We’re all better.”  
Where there hadn’t been any real injury, Regina had still given the boys a strip of cloth to have a pretend bandage. One had insisted the bandage go around his neck, one had wanted one across his head. She tried not to laugh at the comical sight.  
“Don’t you want a bandage too?” One asked him.  
“No. I’m too strong and clever to get injured.”  
Regina didn’t say anything as she sat down. The boys began passing the food around, as she had taught them, and she tried to enjoy the meal. They asked Peter to tell them where he’d been and if he’d found any new Lost Boys, but his heart wasn’t in the story and he just shared the bare facts of his journey.  
When the food was gone, he told the Lost Boys they could play a game. Hide and seek. He would count to ten and then come to find them. They scattered as quickly as they could, but Peter didn’t start counting.  
“The necklace is pretty.” He told her.  
“The Lost Boys are waiting for you to find them.” She reminded him.  
“They always hide in the same places.”  
“Do you want to talk about where you’ve been?”  
Peter shrugged. “Their world changes, ours doesn’t. I like it here more.”  
“That’s not what I meant.”  
“Did it hurt when I said that about Henry? Abandoning you?”  
“Yes.”  
“Then I’m sorry.”  
“Thank you Peter.”  
“You won’t leave us will you?”  
“I don’t have anywhere else to go.”  
“Promise?”  
“Peter…”  
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked.”  
“Peter, I…”  
But he shot straight up in the air, yelling out to the Lost Boys that he was coming to find them. Once again Regina was left on her own.

Chapter 11.

Regina refused to keep track of the days. There was really no point when she didn’t plan to leave. She had told Peter the truth when she said she didn’t have anywhere to go. She couldn’t return to the Enchanted Forest because everyone there knew her as the Evil Queen and remembered what she had done. She couldn’t return to Storybrook because everyone would be returning to the Enchanted Forest and she would be alone. Emma and Neal would have taken Henry out into the world and she would have no way to find them, not that they would want her to, anyway. Their world was too big and too strange. She wouldn’t be able to adapt to it and she would end up… but she couldn’t think of that.  
There was a knock at her door. She looked outside and saw the Lost Boys waiting for her.  
“Are you coming out to play today, mother?” They asked her.  
“Not today. I have to tidy the house. Maybe tomorrow.”  
“Okay.”  
When they had gone, Regina sat back on her bed. She was feeling sad and she didn’t want them to see her this way.  
There was another knock on the door. She stood up, reached for a dust rag on the table and went to answer it.  
“Peter.”  
“Can I come in?”  
“I was just…” Something in his face stopped her. “Sure. Come in.”  
He threw himself onto one of the chairs and twisted around to look at her. She walked over and sat cautiously opposite him.  
“I wanted to ask you about your necklace.”  
“The daisy chain?”  
“No, the gold one.”  
Regina reached for the chain, touching it as she answered. “What do you want to know?”  
“I’ve seen the rings in the other world. What do they mean?”  
“They’re supposed to be a symbol of love between two people. You wear them when you agree to spend the rest of your life with someone.”  
“But usually people wear them on their hands, don’t they?”  
“Yes. Sometimes they are worn as necklaces though.”  
“Who were you going to spend the rest of your life with?”  
“His name was Daniel.”  
“Did he leave you? Or did you leave him?”  
“He died.” She didn’t mean to say it so harshly, but she still found it hard to think about Daniel. “I didn’t get to wear it on my hand while he was alive, but I keep it because I still love him. That was a long time ago, Peter but I will never forget him.”  
“What were you like when you were a girl?”  
Regina was silent for a moment as she tried to remember. “My mother was very strict with me, she knew how to make sure I did as I was told. I supposed I was …”  
“So you had a bad mother too?”  
“It wasn’t her fault. She wanted so much for me that she sacrificed her heart…”  
“She stopped you from being a child.”  
“I supposed she did.”  
“That’s why I do it, you know? Saving the Lost Boys from not getting to be children. That’s why I first came to Neverland.”  
Regina sat and listened to Peter’s story, it wasn’t what she had expected. 

Chapter 12.

When he had finished, Peter sat still watching for her reaction.  
“Sometimes…” Regina began. “Sometimes my memories make me feel, just emotions and I can’t always put words to them. I feel sad or like I just really have to go away from everyone else and be on my own. If I can’t be alone I get angry with whoever’s around. I don’t mean to and I know that I’ll regret it later, but I hurt them. I can’t help it. I don’t want to be like this, but I am. I’m trying to change and it’s really hard.”  
“I understand. I think that’s how I feel about everything that’s happened. My shadow was all of my dark parts and when the Dark One separated it from me I was so happy. I was free and didn’t have to worry, because it wasn’t a part of me anymore so whatever it did, it wasn’t me doing it. Now it’s back and connected to me I’m struggling to control it. I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”  
“You’re a good person, Peter, or you wouldn’t be worrying about it. Perhaps you should visit Dr Hopper in Storyrbook, his real name is Jiminy Cricket. The next time you feel this way, go and talk to him. I promise you he can help.”  
“But he’s an adult. He wouldn’t understand, he’d try and make me grow up.”  
“I’m a grownup too.” She reminded him.  
“It’s not the same. You’re one of us now.”  
“You can trust him. At least go for one visit and if you don’t like him you can come right back here and we’ll think of another way to help you.”  
“Is that why you wouldn’t go out today with the Lost Boys?”  
“Yes. I don’t want them to see me when I’m like that.”  
“They’d forgive you and forget it. You’re their mother.”  
“They shouldn’t have to forgive me. I should be strong enough to control my emotions, I’m old enough…”  
“Are you very old Regina?”  
“Oh yes. I’m twice as old as I look.”  
“Because of your curse?”  
“Yes.”  
“I bet I’m still older than you.”  
Regina laughed. “Maybe you are.”  
“Are you still feeling sad?”  
“Not as much as before you arrived.”  
He grinned at her. “That’s good. Are you up to coming out to play?”  
Suddenly Regina wondered if that had been Peter’s plan all along. Could he have thought to tell her his story to make her forget her own troubles? She wouldn’t put it past him. He was a very bright boy.  
Suddenly another thought struck her and she laughed. She could just picture Peter turning up outside Archie’s window and knocking on it to get his attention. If a flying boy didn’t surprise him, the ex-cricket would be in for some interesting conversations. She would have to remind Peter that not everyone left windows open every night, and that he might have to knock to get his attention. That was if Pongo didn’t start barking first.  
“There’s still a few games I haven’t taught you yet. Let’s get the Lost Boys together and see if they want to try something new.”  
“I think they’d like that.”

Chapter 13.

Peter had been sulking. Regina didn’t know if he had tried to go to the mainland and see Archie yet, but she also didn’t want to push him too hard into going. The Lost Boys were only half-heartedly playing amongst the rock pools and wouldn’t go swimming in case Peter came back and wanted to do something on land. It was getting ridiculous. They knew where Peter was but wouldn’t go and ask him to play with them. He was the leader; they shared his moods and only he could make their games seem more exciting. She finally asked one of the boys to tell her where Peter had gone and swam around the island to get to the water caves.  
He was sitting high up the walls of the cave where the grey rock jutted out providing just enough room. Beautiful mermaids swam below him, trying to get his attention. They left when they saw her. Some mothering instinct in them seemed to make them like Peter and the Lost Boys, but she was an adult and female which made her too much of a rival for the boys attention. She knew some of them would have liked to drown her if they had the chance, but they were also scared of her magic and wouldn’t challenge her directly. They would happily, and accidentally, swim past her close enough to create strong currents with their powerful tails in the water to try and make her work harder to swim wherever she was going. Their short attention span also meant that their water antics didn’t last too long and she just tried to ignore them. They were in Neverland first. She understood how that felt.  
Regina draped her arms over a rock as she rested and looked up at Peter. “The Lost Boys are waiting for you.”  
“I’m practicing my pipes.” He quickly took them out of his pocket. “The mermaids were going to sing to me. You frightened them away.”  
“Have you been to see Dr Hopper yet?”  
“I don’t need to. I’m staying here in Neverland. Everything that can make me happy is here.”  
“But you don’t seem happy.”  
Peter reached into his pocket and tossed an object over to her.  
“I found this.”  
It splashed into the water and surfaced near her hands. Regina recognised the bottle. Saw her name on the piece of paper and smiled. Someone had written back to her.  
“Read it to me.” Peter demanded.  
Regina’s face fell. “It might be nothing. I wrote a letter to Henry to say goodbye. Emma might have sent it telling me not to write to him again.”  
“I didn’t have to give it to you. I could have taken it away from Neverland or hidden it where you’d never find it.”  
“Thank you for giving it to me.”  
“What does it say?”  
Not wanting to get the paper wet, Regina climbed out of the water and sat on a sandy ledge. She used her magic to dry herself and change her clothes before slowly opening it and taking out the sheets of paper.  
“Three letters.” She told him.  
He sat up, leaning slightly forward, ready to listen.

Chapter 14.

She read Snow White’s letter first, recognising the different handwriting. She knew it would be awkward, but she hoped Peter would get bored and fly away before she got to Henry’s or Emma’s. There’s were more personal.

Regina,

I won’t waste words on the past. We both had a chance to talk on the journey to Neverland and sensibly avoided the hard subjects to concentrate on finding Henry. My mother was cruel to your mother, your mother killed mine. Anything we’ve done has continued a hatred they started, and with beings like the Dark One interfering in our lives, along with dark magic’s, we would just be going around in circles.  
You raised my grandson all these years, protecting him and keeping him on the path of good. Thank you.  
I want to ask you a favour.  
Emma is writing you a letter and Henry doesn’t know the contents but I do. She has had a fight with Neal and is refusing to speak to anyone about it. Rumplestiltskin has woken, no longer the Dark One, and with little memory of that life. He calls himself a coward and won’t allow Emma to try and use her magic to make him remember. We need him to remember. Neal told Emma about the promise he made to you and she wants to track down everywhere the Dark One went and fight anyone who might come after Henry. Rumplestiltskin refuses to travel anywhere, except back to Storybrook, and Neal just wants Emma to go home and not put her life in danger. They should be at home raising their son. Eventually Henry will grow up and Neal thinks that once he’s not a little boy he will be safe. Rumplestiltskin only worried about a boy causing his downfall, if he gave them Henry’s description the way he did to Peter, whoever’s out there will only go after him while he’s a child.  
Emma has called Neal a coward and refuses to come home and hide with Henry. I want you to tell her that is exactly what she has to do. She keeps muttering that you will help her, that you’re the only one who understands, as though you’re the only other person who loves Henry. We all love him and want to keep him safe.  
Please send her a message, reply to her letter, do whatever it takes but please convince her that she mustn’t risk dying. I can’t loose her again.  
If you can’t do it for me, then do it for Henry. He needs her, Regina.

Snow.

“What do you think?” Regina asked Peter, looking up from the letter.  
“She’s right. The same way the Lost Boys wouldn’t want to lose you if you could stay.”  
“But if Emma’s right and there are other things coming for Henry… She’d need my help to get to Rumplestiltskin’s memories.”  
“Are there no other magic users in Storybrook who could show her the spell?”  
“The Blue Fairy. Maybe she could use the magic from her wand.”  
“There you go. They don’t need you. If Snow White is a Queen can’t she order her armies to go and fight instead of her daughter?”  
“I suppose.”  
“Read Henry’s letter next.”

Chapter 15.

 

Dear Mom,  
I still want to call you that, I hope you don’t mind. I’m also calling Emma that now, but I still find it strange trying to call Neal dad. Everyone on the ships acting weird, they won’t talk to me and Emma (okay, I’ll call her that in the letter because it’s to you) is worried about something and has locked us in the cabin. She only lets grandma in.  
We got your letter. I’m sure you’re surprised to see three replies to it. It’s good that you’re happy in Neverland. Thank you for letting me go. I know you could have fought them and probably wanted to. This way we can move on and start our new lives without anyone getting hurt. I hope you don’t forget me, but maybe you can keep this letter to remind you. We did have some good times as I grew up and I know you only wanted the best for me. So do Emma and Neal.  
We’re still on our way back to Storybrook. If we’re lucky they’ll have found a new way to get us back to the Enchanted Forest. I really want to see EVERYTHING. Maybe there’s a way you can still send us letters – can Peter get there?  
I wanted to let you know that I’m okay and to thank you for coming to save me. Maybe now is the happy ending that was always waiting for you. I hope so.  
Love,  
Henry.  
P.S. Can you please try and send another letter with some of your recipes. I told Emma you make the best lasagne and apple turnovers. Thanks.  
xx

Regina brushed a hand over the two tiny x’s and re-read the letter to herself.  
“You see, he doesn’t want you back. That means you can stay.” Peter told her, not bothering about Emma’s letter.  
“I guess it does.”  
Peter finally smiled. “Come on, I’ll race you to the Lost Boys. You swim and I’ll fly.”  
Regina carefully put the letters back in the bottle and replaced the cork. “Let’s fly together.”

Chapter 16.

Emma drafted another letter while her mother was out of the room. She had now sent three letters to Regina and so far there had been no reply. This was the last of the fairy dust her mother had brought up for the first letter and she wasn’t sure if anyone was keeping track of the bottles from the kitchen. She’d given up on fighting Neal, going up on deck with Henry and talking to the others. Neal wouldn’t fight with her in front of Henry, he didn’t want him to know about the danger and Emma just refused to talk to him about it.  
“What’s that?” Henry asked, sitting up in his bed.  
“Nothing, go back to sleep.” Emma whispered to him.  
He pushed the covers back, got out of bed and tried to find his balance on the shifting floor as he walked towards her. “What are you writing?”  
Henry peered over her shoulder and Emma held her arms protectively over her writing to cover the words.  
“I’m just writing another letter to Regina, to let her know we’re nearly back in Storybrooke and that you’re feeling better.”  
“Then why are the words fight and help visible?”  
“I’m thanking her for her help fighting Peter Pan.”  
“You already said that in the last letter.”  
“She hasn’t replied so I wanted to send a second letter in case she didn’t receive the first one.”  
“Dad said when he went to Neverland before he found that time moves differently there. She might not have gotten it yet or maybe her reply has been delayed.”  
“A second letter won’t hurt.”  
“I can tell when you’re lying.” Henry sat down on the chair next to her and rubbed his hands over his arms.  
“Get back to bed. It’s too cold and too late for you to still be awake.”  
“Not until you tell me the truth.”  
Emma stood up.  
“Back into bed and I’ll come over and talk to you.” She ordered him, pointing to where he slept.  
“Fine.”  
Henry shuffled back the way he had come and Emma straightened the blankets around him.  
“So, what’s the truth?” He persisted.  
“Just between us? You have to promise not to tell anyone else.”  
Henry nodded in agreement, his chin resting on top of the blanket.  
“I’m worried about Rumplestiltskin. There are things about the Dark One’s past that we don’t know and because he can’t remember them there may still be danger waiting for us.”  
“Because he could see the future and he might have had a backup plan for when he was defeated.”  
“Something like that. Regina is the only person who might be able help us, to help him remember. Everyone is worried, but they shouldn’t be. I just want to keep you safe and I’ll do everything I can to make sure that you are.”  
“I believe you.”  
“That’s why you can’t tell them about my letter.”  
“I promised, didn’t I?”  
Emma kissed his forehead. “Now go back to sleep. Your father and Hook are going to let you help them with the fishing tomorrow.”  
“Yuk, the fresh fish smell. I’d rather they let me help steer the boat.”  
“Maybe when you’re older.”  
“When we get back can we have junk food? I miss chicken nuggets in breadcrumbs and proper chips from the diner. Fish isn’t the same when it still has eyes attached.”  
“Only if you go to sleep right now.” Emma patted down the blanket, then winked at him. “But I know what you mean.” 

Chapter 17.

There were no clouds in the sky and the sand at the bottom of the ocean sparkled with mysterious hidden treasures. Regina twisted her body to spin around and then tried a somersault under the water. Her magic held up and no water went up her nose. She allowed herself to drift to the bottom, then pushed off with both feet and shot towards the surface, a large grin on her face. As her face rose from the water she removed the magic providing her with oxygen and closed her eyes against the bright sunlight. Stretching out her arms and legs she drifted onto her back and lay on top of the water. Peter was leading the Lost Boys in a hunt for dinner and she was all alone. It was so peaceful.  
Then she heard a splash in the water. It was either a large fish or a mermaid. Regina opened her eyes and lowered her feet until she was upright and treading water. Slowly she turned in a circle to see if she could spot who or whatever it was.  
“Greetings.”  
The mermaids head floated on top of the water, bright orange hair flowing around her pale face as she smiled at Regina.  
“Hello.” Regina replied cautiously, unaccustomed to the mermaids speaking to her unless they wanted to trade insults.  
“You’re Regina, aren’t you?”  
“Yes.”  
“I’m Ariel.”  
“The Little Mermaid?” Regina whispered to herself, remembering how much Henry had loved the Disney film as a child.  
“I’m not little.” Ariel told her. “I’m probably older than you are.”  
“Sorry, I was referring to a character in a story who had the same name as you.”  
“Oh, that’s alright then.”  
“Can I help you with something?” Regina asked her.  
“Actually I came here to help you.”  
“I’ve had help from the other mermaids before. I should warn you that I have magic.”  
Ariel frowned at her. “I’m not like them.”  
“Really?”  
“I’m an outcast from my own tribe and I came here hoping for a new home, but these mermaids aren’t like my people.”  
“I’m an outcast too.”  
“I know, I followed your ship when you first arrived. I knew the captain a long time ago, Captain Hook, and I once helped Baelfire escape Peter Pan. I never thought to see either of them here again.”  
“They’re headed back home now.”  
“Yes. I listened to their conversations, holding on to the side of the ship when I was too tired to swim. There’s a ledge at the back where I could sit and still allow my tail to drift in the water… The girl was getting desperate. You haven’t replied to her letters. I felt sorry for her and thought I should bring you this.” Ariel’s hand rose from the water and she threw something towards Regina.  
Regina caught the glass bottle and looked at the curled up piece of paper inside.  
“I forgot to read her first letter.”  
“She said this was the fourth she’s sent.”  
“Why are you giving this to me?”  
“I remember what it was like to be human. I once had two legs instead of a tail.”  
“Thank you.”  
“Be careful Regina. Neverland makes you forget important things. You should read the letter and reply before you forget again. Emma is counting on you.”  
“Counting on me? They’re going home where they’ll be safe.”  
Ariel shrugged. “Just read the letter. I’m going back to the boat so I can say goodbye before they pass beyond the magic and I can no longer follow.”  
“Wait!” Regina called out, but it was already too late, the little mermaid had ducked back under the water and swum away.

Chapter 18.

Regina reached her cottage as fast as her legs would allow and began searching for Emma’s first letter. She couldn’t remember where she had put it, or if she had even brought it back from the water caves. The new letter was on her bed, but she wanted to read the other one first, in case the new letter referred to it. She lifted up the items on the shelves, pushed the chair back to check underneath and began opening the clothes drawers.  
There was a knock at the door. As quickly as she could, Regina ran back to the bed and shoved the bottle containing Emma’s letter under her pillow.  
“Come in.” She called, walking calmly back to the front door.  
Peter entered, followed by some of the Lost Boys who instantly started looking around at her things. They were always curious about the items she collected, they considered some of them silly because to them these were things which they could see everyday in Neverland.  
“How was the hunting?” Regina asked casually.  
“Some of the boys need more practice.” Peter told her, glaring at a particular boy and making him bow his head. “I don’t think we’ll have enough to fill the table.”  
Regina smiled. To the Lost Boys, unless the table was covered with food, they complained that they didn’t have enough. Usually there was plenty left over after the meals which they could save for breakfast, but that wasn’t the point. They hunted for fruits and vegetables amongst the forest’s dense vegetation, sometimes finding a stream to fish for variety.  
“Perhaps I should start a garden and grow food so that you always have enough.” Regina suggested.  
“That doesn’t sound like fun. You have to water it and weed it, then make sure nothing comes along to eat what you’re growing. Hunting is fun, Neverland does all the hard work for us.”  
“I used to grow my own apple trees. I enjoyed it, looking after something as it grows provides a sense of accomplishment.”  
“There are no apple trees in Neverland.”  
“Maybe I’ll grow those berries which taste a little bit like apples.”  
“Well if you do, you’ll have to look after it yourself. No-one else will help you.”  
“I don’t mind.”  
One of the Lost Boy’s knocked something off the shelf and it rolled across the floor.  
“Out!” Peter roared at him.  
“It’s okay.” Regina told him, picking it up and dusting it off.  
“Are you coming for dinner?” Peter asked her.  
“Of course.”  
He stepped back to offer her the doorway first. “After you.”  
“Thank you.”  
Her eyes wandered back to the pillow as she followed the other Lost Boys out. At least it was in a place she couldn’t forget it. She would read it tonight when she returned.  
The boys were happy as they went to the table, Regina sat down and began selecting food from the bowls and plates in front of her. The Lost Boys grabbed things, yelling out to each other to pass something or other and tossing the requested items over each other’s heads or across the table.  
Regina cut into the berries with her knife, using the tip to ease out the pips and placing them in a small pile at the edge of her plate before eating. She was already thinking about the best place to try growing the plants, it would have to be somewhere the sunlight could get to it. In the morning she could start digging holes in the soil and setting up a little fence to keep the animals away. There was a pump for the water outside her cottage. She didn’t have a watering can, but she could use a cup or a bucket.  
“What are you thinking?” Peter asked her, nudging the Lost Boy on her left to move over as he sat down.  
His plate was overloaded with food, but he kept it balanced so nothing spilled as he set it on the table next to hers. He looked down at her plate and the pile of pips, shaking his head.  
“I thought I’d start on the garden tomorrow.” Regina explained. “It’s too easy to forget good ideas around here so I’m getting things ready now.”  
“It’s your choice.”  
“What is the best wood to make a small fence with? It would need to be strong enough to keep animals away while everything is growing.”  
“I’ll think about it and let you know.”  
“Do you think you could try and find me some different fruits tomorrow, I want a wide variety in case some things are harder to grow than others.”  
“You won’t get anything to grow. Things in Neverland like to be free.”  
“I’d still like to try.”  
“I’ll look.”  
“Thanks.”

Chapter 19.

Regina brushed her hair, gazing at her reflection. She had created a mirror using her magic and was remembering the time she couldn’t look at one without seeing Sydney’s face staring back at her. She wondered how he was doing, back in Storybrooke. It wouldn’t be right to use her magic to spy on him now.  
She put the hairbrush down and closed the cottage shutters to block out the moonlight. As she slipped into bed and rested her head back onto the pillows, she felt the glass bottle against the back of her neck. Emma’s letter! She had forgotten it again.  
Regina reached under the pillow and pulled it out, creating a small ball of light so that she could read it. For a moment she just held it in her hand. She knew if she read it, she would question her choice to stay in Neverland. If she didn’t read it, she would worry that it was something important about Henry. Why would the mermaid have brought it to her if it wasn’t important? They didn’t usually care about anyone else. If she read it, Peter would be hurt. He didn’t want her to leave. The Lost Boys didn’t want her to leave.  
She gently curled the piece of paper back up and returned it to the bottle, placing it on the floor and allowing it to roll under her bed. She would forget about it and once she had forgotten, she wouldn’t worry about what Emma had wanted to tell her. Henry had a family now, parents and grandparents. They would take care of him. Even if she wanted to go back, that wouldn’t change. She would no longer be part of his life the way she had been for the first decade as he grew up.  
Any tears she shed for her lost son as she fell asleep were dry by morning and Emma’s message had gone from her mind.  
\--__  
It was cooler in the Neverland forest than on the beaches. The thick green leaves kept the path shaded and Regina was glad Peter had warned her where they were going so that she could bring a jacket. Of course, it was nothing like the suit jackets she had worn as the mayor. She had sacrificed all of those clothes for more practical and comfortable ones once she settled on the decision to stay in Neverland. Now she wore flat shoes that allowed her to run with the Lost Boys when they wanted to play games and tied her hair into softer styles to make herself feel young again.  
“How much further?” She asked Peter as he led them through the forest.  
She had been excited when he promised to show her where to find the best wood for the garden fence she wanted and had agreed to set out before the other Lost Boys woke so that they wouldn’t distract them from their journey. That was nearly two hours ago and Regina was beginning to wish she had asked to stop for breakfast first. Peter had a small pouch of food on his belt, but that was for emergencies and she was tempted to use her magic to summon some food. He was too intent on following the path to hear her at first.  
“There’s a fruit tree over there.” Regina told him, when he didn’t answer. “Could we stop for a moment to gather some for breakfast?”  
Peter sighed as he stopped walking and looked to where she pointed. “All right.”  
He flew up and examined the fruit closest to him, tossing a handful of ripe looking ones down to her. Regina caught them and handed some back when he joined her on the ground. They ate as they walked along. Regina trying to keep the fruit juice from spilling down her chin and watching Peter use the back of his hand to wipe across his mouth. When they had finished, Regina pocketed the seeds for her garden.  
It took them another hour until they reached a section of the forest with different trees. These ones were slimmer with fewer branches and smoother looking trunks a pale shade of cream. Here the ground was littered with orange leaves, behind them the forest was eerie shades of green and black.  
Peter turned back to her and patted the tree on his left.  
“These are the strongest trees in the whole of Neverland. Can’t be cut down with knives or other man-made tools.”  
“Then how will I get enough wood for a small fence?”  
“We have to hunt for branches which have fallen off naturally or been struck off by lightning.”  
“What about magic?”  
“I wouldn’t try it. They might not like it. Could be that they’d think you were trying to attack them.”  
He ran off through the leaves before she could say anything further, kicking them up into the air as he looked underneath for fallen branches. Regina took a slower, steadier pace using her magic to blow the leaves aside as she walked.  
Eventually she agreed that they gathered enough branches and Peter tied them together in two bundles so that they could each carry one back to the cottage.

Chapter 20.

Hook told them they would be back in Storybrooke in two more days, if the weather remained calm. He recognised the area from his journey with Cora. To Emma the ocean still looked the same. She took her usual pre-lunch stroll along the deck, getting some fresh air, when Henry joined her. Ever as tactful as his mother, he blurted out exactly what he was thinking.  
“Why are you still mad at dad? He said he apologised.”  
“I’m not mad at him. We just have different opinions on things.”  
“If you’re going to be together you’ll have to compromise.” Henry explained, sounding very grown up.  
Emma leant against the side of the boat and looked down at him. “Where did you hear that?”  
“Mum used to say it to me all the time. She’d make me compromise. If I finished my homework, or got good grades I could get a new comic book or rent a movie. That kind of thing.”  
Emma shook her head and tried to explain. “This is different. When you believe in something, you can’t compromise it away.”  
“But you could agree to disagree and make friends. Maybe that is just something you agree never to talk about.”  
Emma sighed and didn’t answer.  
“Why don’t you want to be with dad?” Henry asked.  
“It’s complicated.”  
“But he’s your True Love. Look at the way you found each other again.”  
“We didn’t find each other. Gold’s magic found him in New York and I thought he was dead so I wasn’t looking for him when we found him again.”  
“Don’t you love him?”  
“Henry…” Emma ran her fingers through her hair as she tried to explain.  
“No! He loves you and you love him. You have to.”  
“Why? Because I loved him when I was younger? Listen, you’re right. I loved him a long time ago. Then he gave me you and that ties me to him but it’s not the same. I know you want us to be together, to be a family, but that’s not how it works.”  
She didn’t mean to loose her temper, but it was a sore subject and she had so many other things on her mind.  
“He wants to be with you.”  
“Yes, but not because he loves me. He wants to make up for everything that happened, to all of us and because he thinks that’s how a family should be. It isn’t. Staying with someone because it’s the right thing to do can make things worse. You can grow to hate someone you’re forced to be with because one day something True might along and you find you’re trapped. When you’re older you’ll understand.”  
“Who else could come along?”  
“I don’t know. And I’m not saying that someday I won’t love him again, but right now I’m not ready for us to be together.”  
“What about when we get home? Will I get to see him?”  
She could see it in his eyes, his mind was already working on a plan to get them together. Emma hated to disappoint him.  
“If Neal wants to stay then we’ll work something out. Joint custody. You can spend equal time with both of us.”  
She knew it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. Emma watched him walk away and turned to look back out at the sea.  
“Where are you Regina?” She whispered to herself.

Chapter 21.

“I told you they wouldn’t grow.” Peter gloated as he leant on the wooden fence, looking down at the bare ground of Regina’s garden.  
She removed the hat from her head as she finished watering the neat rows of soil, glad that it was growing cooler. “It takes time. I only planted them yesterday. At least I think it was yesterday. When did we finish the fence?”  
Peter shrugged. “Time doesn’t matter. It’s only important to have fun.”  
“Well, watching the plants grow will be fun, especially when time passes so quickly here.”  
“Are you coming hunting with us today?”  
“I thought I’d stay and finish writing the book. The boys said they want me to tell them the stories and this way they might learn to read.”  
“It’s no use teaching them anything. They’ll only forget.”  
That was why Regina was writing her book. She wanted to remember her father, Daniel and Henry. Even if she only thought they were made-up stories in a couple of years, she wanted the truth to be written down somewhere. It was only fair. Henry had his book.  
“What about you Peter? Do you think you could learn and remember how to read?”  
“If I wanted to. But reading is for grown-ups.”  
“Reading is for everyone Peter. Some little children even learn to read with your story, amongst others.”  
“I stole a copy of the book once. Just to see what they said about me. There were lots of pictures, but I couldn’t read the words.”  
“Do you still have it?”  
Peter shrugged. “Maybe.”  
“If you want I could read it to you.”  
“I don’t mind.”  
But he looked excited at the idea of hearing stories about himself and Regina smiled, wondering if Peter would be pleased with his portrayal.  
“Tonight then, after dinner. If you can find the book.”  
“If I can’t I’ll go to the mainland and borrow another copy.”  
“What is it like in London at this time of year?”  
“Busy. Even at night-time. It’s a lot more dangerous than it used to be. Of course, the grown-ups still don’t notice the things they’ve stopped believing in, but the children stay up later now so I have to be careful.”  
“Do you only travel to London?”  
“No, not always.”  
“Do you think I could go with you one day?”  
“If I took you the Lost Boys would want to come as well. They get confused on the mainland.”  
“Because they start to remember who they are and want to grow up?”  
“No! They never want to grow up! They’re Lost Boys! … They just… forget about the magic and find it hard to fly.”  
Regina stood on tip-toe as she reached up to hang the watering can on the little hook near the front door. Then she tossed her hat through an open window and into the cottage.  
“Let’s go hunting then. We can take the cups and plates with us and have a picnic near the waterfall. It will save carrying it all back here. What do you think?”  
“What about your writing?”  
“The stories will still be there tomorrow.”  
Peter grinned. “Am I going to be in the book?”  
“Of course, but not until later.”  
“Remember to write how much braver I am than the other Lost Boys, and how much cleverer.”  
“I will.”  
“And how good I am. You will write down that I am good now, won’t you?”  
“Yes Peter.”  
As they walked off to gather up the other Lost Boys, Peter continued to advise Regina on writing her book.

Chapter 22.

There was a slight bump as the ship docked in Storybrooke. It was growing late and the streetlights were on as the sun sank into the horizon. They were all on the deck, either helping to anchor the ship or watching for signs of their friends.  
“They wouldn’t know to expect us.” Hook reminded his passengers.  
“But they might have seen us coming, if anyone was out here earlier.” Snow told him, as she gazed hopefully over the wooden railing.  
Neal climbed down the mast and walked over to his father, making sure that he was ready to disembark. Emma had helped her father release the anchor and now the job was done, walked over to her mother.  
“I should get Henry home. Why don’t you go and look for Ruby while we settle back in.”  
Snow put an arm around Emma’s shoulder and pulled her into a hug. The gesture was becoming less uncomfortable for Emma the more she did it, though she couldn’t bring herself to initiate one.  
“We’ll walk you back. Until we know what’s been happening here, we should stick together.”  
“Rumplestiltskin gave Belle the protection spell. Everything will be fine.” Emma reminded her.  
“We stick together.” Charming called over.  
Emma realised it wasn’t worth arguing about. “Are we leaving the fairy dust on board until we can get help unloading it or do you want to take some of it off now?”  
“I think we can trust Hook with it.” Snow told her.  
He gave her a smile and a small bow. “I’m glad somebody finally trusts me.”  
“Well I don’t.” Neal told him. “We’re taking it with us. All of it.”  
“Good luck finding some way to carry it back through the town. If you drop it and it scatters everywhere we won’t be able to collect it back up again.” Charming reminded him.  
“Oh look!” Snow cried, suddenly pointing between the buildings.  
Seven shadowy figures appeared. As they grew closer, Emma could just make out the familiar faces of the dwarves.  
“Figures.” Neal said sourly, under his breath.

They swiftly began unloading, Snow taking Grumpy to one side to ask what had been happening in their absence. Emma and Henry watched as Neal and Charming passed up the fairy dust to the dwarves.  
“I guess this means we’re going home.” Sneezy said to Emma as he waited for the next one to be passed to him.  
“There’s enough for everyone.” Henry confirmed as Dopey came over to listen.  
“And you got rid of the Evil Queen. How did you manage that?” Dopey asked.  
“Regina,” Emma put the emphasis on her name. “Chose to stay behind and look after the Lost Boys. After, she helped to save Henry.”  
“Oh. Right.”  
Dopey quickly shuffled away and Sneezy gratefully took hold of the fairy dust passed to him. Henry put an arm around Emma’s waist.  
“Don’t worry kid. When they hear what happened…”  
“They’ll still think of her as the Evil Queen.”  
“Perhaps.”  
Henry frowned. “But we know she’s changed.”  
“We do.”  
“Maybe we should write it all down in a book. Like August did.”  
Emma smiled. “That would be a good idea. You should write it.”  
“Me?”  
“No-one better. You know all of the original stories, you could start it where August left off. I wouldn’t have the patience and you’re the only one I’d trust to write the whole truth.”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well if Hook wrote it, he’d make himself out to be a hero all the way through. He’d forget to mention helping Cora, and anyway, he wasn’t around when you first came to find me. You’ve seen all the important parts of what has happened to us. You can write about growing up with Regina, how she was willing to sacrifice herself to stop Storybrooke from the crystals destruction.”  
“Do you think we’ll ever see her again?”  
“If Peter Pan can fly from Neverland to England I don’t see why Regina couldn’t. She loves you, so I’m sure she’ll try.”  
Henry appeared reassured and they watched the final stages of the unloading.

Chapter 23.

Regina stepped out of her cottage and stared at the sight in front of her. It was amazing!  
“I don’t understand. Yesterday there wasn’t even anything poking out of the ground.”  
Peter was leaning on the fence, waiting for her with a wide grin on his face. “It’s because you really believed it.”  
Regina tilted her head back to admire the tall trees. They were about the same height as the cottage. She was glad she had planted them enough of a distance away so that they didn’t overshadow her new home.  
“Is there anything ready to be eaten?” She asked, peering up into the branches.  
“Not yet. Maybe tomorrow, if you believe some more.”  
“But how did they grow so quickly? Even magic moves slowly with living things. It took days to grow small magical bean plants.”  
Peter pushed away from the fence and walked over to her. “I told you, it’s because you believed. That’s how magic here works, it’s can make you fly and make anything you want happen.”  
“Just by believing?” After everything she had seen, Regina was still sceptical. “Are you sure you didn’t just dig up a couple of trees and plant them here while I slept?”  
Peter laughed.  
There were shouts from behind him as the other Lost Boys arrived. Regina greeted them and happily pointed out her new trees. They were all very impressed.  
“We’re going to the beach. Do you wanna come?” They asked.  
“Yes. Let me just water the trees first.” Regina told them.  
The Lost Boys watched her, curious, as she took the little can, filled it with water and poured it over the ground. As they walked to the beach they asked her questions about it, so she explained and told them about her apple trees.  
It was a sunny day. The sand on the beach seemed brighter as they stepped onto it. Regina slipped off her shoes and allowed her toes to sink into the tiny grains. It was so hot against her skin and she held out her arms to feel the warm breeze blow against them. She smiled as she listened to the sounds of the Lost Boys running towards the sea, splashing in and out of the waves hitting the shore. When she opened her eyes, she laughed. Two of the boys were sitting at the edge of the water, already soaked with sand and seaweed tangling their hair. Peter was hovering over them with mischief in his eyes. Then she noticed that his hands were held behind his back, as though he was hiding something.  
“Peter.” There was a warning tone in her voice, though really she was struggling to keep a straight face.  
“We’re just having fun.” He pouted, zooming back towards her and returning his feet to the ground.  
“If you make them cry they’re not having fun.”  
“Then think of a new game for us to play.”  
“A new game? I’m too old to think of games.” She protested.  
“Please?”  
“Yes, please?” The nearest Lost Boy begged.  
Soon they were all gathering around her, looking up at her with those large innocent eyes waiting for her to speak. She wracked her brain. Surely there was something she could suggest? Some game Henry used to play?  
She looked to Peter in desperation.  
“Do you have buckets and spades? You could build sandcastles?”  
It was a pathetic idea. She regretted it, wished she could come up with something more exciting, something more fun the moment she said it.  
One by one the Lost Boys smiled at her.  
“I know just the things. Lost Boys follow me. Why don’t you pick a good spot for us?” Peter asked as he lifted into the air.  
The Lost Boys followed him as Regina watched. She smiled as she remembered how happy they had been when they looked at her and began scanning the beach for the best place to dig. They wouldn’t want to be too close to the water in case the tide was coming in, but they would need to make trips down to the sea to collect water and wet down the sand they would use for building.  
As she knelt down to rest, waiting for the boys to return, she spotted a dark green circle against the sand. Regina looked around, as if waiting for someone to come and tell her what it was, and then decided to investigate. As she drew closer she recognised the turtle shell and wondered if it was headed towards the water or away from it. She decided to sit down and watch it. There was nothing else to do until the Lost Boys returned.  
A tiny, shrivelled head poked out of the shell. Thinking the coast was clear, four stubby little legs emerged and the turtle began plodding along the beach. Without thinking Regina cast out her magic, trapping it so that she could take a closer look. It was so small, so helpless. She reached out a trembling finger to stroke the shell, holding her breath, scared that it would pull itself back inside. For some reason the turtle didn’t. Its dark eyes watched her and its head turned slightly.  
“Hello.” Regina said softly.  
The legs moved as though it was trying to walk away so she put it back on the sand. As it took its first steps away, she turned back to look along the beach. The sand was certainly picture-perfect and everything seemed so peaceful. She created a large, soft towel, laying it out on the sand and sitting down on it, her toes stretched towards the water.  
Peter appeared first, flying over the sand towards her and waving his makeshift bucket and spade over his head. He skidded to a stop near her, causing the sand to fly up into the air.  
“Now what?” He asked.  
“Wait for the others to catch up first.”  
“Oh, ok.” He sighed.  
Regina smiled as the rest of the Lost Boys tumbled over each other in the sand as they rushed towards them. She waited until they were all settled in a semicircle around her before beginning to explain how to build sandcastles. They all wanted her help to build them, so she left the towel and moved among them offering suggestions and using a little magic to hold their creations together. Peter stubbornly wanted to do everything himself and told her not to use her magic on his sandcastle.  
After nearly half an hour, Regina went to sit back down and found the turtle resting on the towel. It poked its head out when she sat down and slowly crawled towards her.  
“I think I’ll call you Sammy.” She whispered. “Henry used to watch a cartoon about a turtle called Sammy.”  
The turtle didn’t seem to mind. It stayed with her on the towel for the rest of the afternoon, and when it was time to go it tried to follow her home, so she picked it up and carried it with her. Back at the cottage she created a little area for it, with sand and water. It seemed to like it and kept her company in the evenings and mornings until the Lost Boys came to visit.

Chapter 24.

Emma snuck down to Hook’s ship. Everyone else was at the diner celebrating their safe return, including the pirate captain, so she knew she would be alone. She was remembering the storm, when Hook had to tie himself to the wheel to stop from being blown overboard. He had just straightened his hat and got on with holding it steady against the wind and waves. She wished she knew how to do that with her life. Just know what to do and do it without fear.  
There was a splash in the water. She looked around. Had someone jumped in for a swim?  
“Hello?” She called.  
A head appeared in the water in front of her.  
“Ariel? What are you doing here? I thought you couldn’t leave Neverland?”  
“It looks like the fairy dust covering the ship transferred to me as I held on to it. I tried to let go before it left Neverland waters but it was too late.”  
“Why were you following us?”  
“In case you had anymore letter for Regina.”  
“What do you know about those?”  
“Peter hid them in the sea so she wouldn’t find them, but I saw him. I collected one of the ones you sent after you threw it in the water and took it to Regina.”  
“It doesn’t look like she’s coming.”  
“She’s in Neverland. It’s making her forget things.”  
“Maybe she doesn’t want to come. I don’t blame her, the way we acted just taking Henry…”  
“She said she would read the letter, she must have wanted to see what it said.” Ariel’s tail moved slowly in the water as she spoke, keeping her in the same spot.  
“It’s too late now, we’re leaving for the Enchanted Forest tomorrow.”  
“It’s never too late.”  
“She’s not here, is she? And we can’t go back…”  
“I can take you. I can swim just as fast as Hook’s ship.” Ariel boasted.  
“What if she doesn’t want to remember? If she says no, I’ll have left for no reason.”  
“You can make her remember. She owes you, I heard Snow White talking. You’ve saved her life and she tried to ruin yours.” Scales sparkled under the harbour lights. “And she still loves Henry. You want to help save him, don’t you?”  
“Of course.”  
“So come with me. Take one last trip back to Neverland.” Ariel moved her hand along the ship, coating it with fairy dust and showing Emma.  
-  
Regina added the finishing touches to the ‘castle’. She had made it from wood and her magic, for the Lost Boys, so that they would have a playground like other children. It looked just like one she had seen a long time ago, in another land. She hoped they would like it.  
“Come on Regina.”  
She heard their voices calling her and quickly covered the ‘castle’ in magic to hide it, wanting to surprise them later.  
“It’s time to play!”  
Regina smiled and raised her arms above her head, flying into the sky. She loved flying, being able to see the whole of Neverland from so high up and the freedom of moving without having anything in the way. Walking through the forest seemed so constricting now, with the trees crowding in. She wondered if there was a way to move her cottage into the sky and keep it there. It would take a lot of magic to contain, unless she could figure out a spell. Or maybe she could grow one of the trees to be taller than anything else on the island…  
“There you are!”  
The Lost Boys crowded around her as she moved her hands to her sides and drifted over. They flew in circles around her; some daring to show off with twists and turns in the air.  
“Peter’s waiting.”  
Regina laughed. “Let’s go.”  
-  
It was midday when they arrived back in Neverland. As Emma stepped onto the beach, Ariel swam away.  
“Wait! Where are you going?” She called.  
“You don’t need my help anymore, you’ll find Regina on your own.” Ariel waved back.  
“What if I can’t? How will I get back home?”  
“I’ll be around. Call for me if you have to.” Then she disappeared, leaving Emma on her own.  
After walking for over an hour, Emma found a cottage. It hadn’t been here the last time she was in Neverland. The trees growing outside reminded her of Regina’s apple trees, so she went to knock on the door, hoping she was right and that her trip back here would be a short one.  
The door opened and Emma couldn’t believe her eyes.  
“What? What is it?” Regina asked her irritably.  
“Regina …”  
“I… I know you, don’t I?” Regina frowned as she looked up at her.  
“It’s me, Emma.”  
“There aren’t any other girls in Neverland, but you’re a grownup. What are you doing here?”  
“I came to see you, when you didn’t reply to my letters I was worried.”  
“Letters? What letters? And why are you staring at me like that?”  
“You… you have something on your face.”  
Regina reached up to see what the problem was. Her hand came away with paint.  
“So? It’s just war paint. We’re playing war games. The Lost Boys all have it on their faces. There’s no point washing it off for lunch if we’re going back to playing it afterwards. I’m only here to water the trees and feed Sammy, then I’m off to meet them.”  
“Regina, what happened to you?”  
“What do you mean?” She asked, shading her eyes as she looked up at Emma, vaguely remembering her.  
“You’ve changed.”  
“Oh, you mean my hair? It’s been growing; I’ve been here so long and keep forgetting to cut it. Do you like it?”  
“It’s not just your hair. It’s all of you.”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“You’re shorter...”  
“I’m not wearing high heels.”  
That she remembered. She much preferred the soft slippers she had made with her magic. They were so comfortable and let her run and play more easily.  
“Have you looked at your reflection recently?”  
“Of course.”  
“And you didn’t notice anything?”  
Regina thought about it and realised that the doorway of the cottage did look a little taller now. She shook her head, the woman was trying to confuse her. That’s just something grown ups did. Peter had warned her.  
“Please get to the point.”  
“You’re… younger. Like a couple of decades younger.”  
“Don’t be ridiculous.”  
“I’m being serious.”  
“I’ve always been this age. It’s time to feed Sammy, wait here a moment.” Regina disappeared back inside the cottage and Emma ducked her head to follow.  
“You have a turtle?” Emma asked, watching as Regina picked the creature up and held out some food.  
“It’s a pet. His name is Sammy.”  
“After the cartoon character?”  
“I can’t remember why.”  
“We watched it together on the mainland with Henry.”  
“Who’s Henry?”  
“You don’t remember?”  
“He’s not a Lost Boy.”  
“He’s our… my…our son.” She couldn’t make up her mind, she wanted Regina to remember and she hoped talking would help with that.  
Regina laughed. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a son. The Lost Boys are like my children, but we’re just playing a game of it.”  
“Don’t you remember Storybrooke? Snow White? The Curse?”  
Regina shook her head. “This is Neverland. Have you met Peter?”  
“Yes, the last time I was here.”  
“You should come and see Peter. He’ll know how to help you.” Regina grabbed her arm.  
“Let go.”  
Regina just held on tighter, pulling her out of the cottage. Emma realised she was using magic, otherwise the smaller Regina would never have the strength to do so. She was not prepared for Regina to launch them into the sky once they stepped outside. As the ground shot out from under their feet she grabbed at Regina.  
“What are you doing? Put me down!”  
“Calm down. Don’t be scared. We’re just flying, it’s quicker.”  
“No. We’ll fall.”  
“You just have to believe.”  
“I don’t! I don’t believe, it’s not possible. I don’t even have fairy dust over me.”  
“Grown ups!” Regina sighed. “I have enough magic for both of us, just hold on tight.”  
Emma couldn’t speak as they flew faster. In the end she just closed her eyes and trusted Regina to get them there safely. She didn’t have any other choice.

Chapter 25.

“Peter!” Regina bellowed in a voice Emma had never heard before.  
She stared at the ex-mayor in surprise. Hopefully Regina hadn’t changed so much that she wouldn’t be able to help her. She looked around distrustfully, remembering trekking through the forest last time. Regina still had hold of her hand and pulled her along as she called for the leader of the Lost Boys.  
“Regina, I don’t think…”  
“Come on, …why are grownups so slow? Peter, where are you?”  
“Look…”  
“He must be playing hide and seek.” Regina explained; then cupped her hands around her mouth to yell. “We’re not playing! Peter, there’s someone here to see you!”  
“Perhaps it’s best if I just explain…”  
Regina stomped her foot and frowned as she surveyed the trees. “I know you’re here! It’s important. You have to the count of five to show yourself before…”  
“Fine!” A green figure descended slowly from the tress, landing near to them. “No need to go all motherly on me.”  
Emma studied the young boy, noticing that there was something different about him now. Perhaps it had something to do with his shadow…  
“What’s she doing here?” He asked suddenly, talking to Regina and ignoring Emma.  
“I don’t know, that’s why I came to find you.” Regina told him, her hands on her hips. “She says her name is Emma, and she looks sort of familiar…”  
“Never mind, I’ll talk to her. Why don’t you go off and meet the Lost Boys.”  
Regina was suspicious at his tone of voice. “What are you up to?”  
Peter rolled his eyes. “Nothing. She’s a grown up, she shouldn’t be here. I’m just going to help her find a way home.”  
“Is she a pirate? The Lost Boys told me there used to be grownups around here, but they were all pirates.”  
“I won’t know until I ask her. Now, run along.”  
“You know I’m not a bloody pirate.” Emma looked between the two of them, trying to work out what was going on. “I came here to talk to Regina…”  
“No!” Peter stopped her, taking a small dagger from his belt and holding it out towards her.  
In a matter of seconds he had flown to her side and was holding it to her throat. Emma wondered if she should have brought her fathers sword. Maybe Peter hadn’t changed. If he would just move a little to the side she might be able to knock the dagger away without risking cutting herself.  
“What are you doing? Stop this fighting at once!” Regina ordered.  
Peter didn’t take his gaze off Emma as he spoke, “Stay out of it. It’s nothing to do with you.”  
“She said she wanted to talk to me. Why?”  
“She’s a grownup. They’re tricky, they’ll do whatever they have to in order to make you grow up.”  
Emma laughed. “She’s already a grownup! …well, okay, maybe not at the moment, but…”  
“See? She’s lying to you.”  
“What?” Emma was stopped from saying anything further as Peter pressed the dagger closer to her throat so that she could feel the cold blade.  
“Stop it, Peter! You know you’re not supposed to… supposed to…” Regina struggled to search for the right words.  
“I’m Peter Pan and this is Neverland. I can do anything I want to.”  
“You can’t hurt her.”  
“Why not?”  
There were tears in Regina’s eyes as she realised that she couldn’t remember the reason. “She’s… she’s He..Hen…”  
“Okay!” Peter took the dagger away from Emma and looked at Regina, a little bit of fear creeping into his eyes. “Look, I’m not doing anything. It was just a game.”  
“A game?” Emma wanted to strike him, as she reached up to feel her neck and check for cuts.  
“See, she’s not hurt.”  
Peter moved towards Regina, to make sure that she was all right. Regina nodded as she looked over at Emma. Peter put a hand on her shoulder and glared back at the grown up who had dared to invade his island.  
“What’s going on Pan?” Emma demanded to know.  
“Why don’t you go home for a bit, seeing Sammy will cheer you up.” He suggested, tucking the dagger away.  
“No more fighting? Promise?”  
He held up his hands in surrender. “If you go now, we’ll just have a little chat, then she’ll leave and never come back.”  
“I want to talk to Regina.”  
“Peter?”  
Emma couldn’t believe the way Regina was acting, listening to that immortal child for advice. Where was the mayor who terrorised her from the moment she arrived in Storybrooke? The one who ordered everyone around as easily as breathing? This might be her last chance; she had to get Regina to remember.  
“Regina Mills!” The mayor’s name the only thing to come to her mind. “You’re Regina Mills and you don’t belong here.”  
“Yes she does!” Peter yelled back at her.  
“Who is she Peter?” Regina held onto his arm to stop him storming back over to the strange woman.  
“She’s no-one, just a grownup. She’s the one who doesn’t belong here.”  
“I think I remember her a little bit…”  
“Go Regina!” Emma crowed, then was instantly stunned by Regina’s next words.  
“Is she my mother, Peter?”  
Emma had not seen that question coming. She didn’t think Peter had either. She choked back a laugh at the thought.  
“No, she’s not.”  
“Oh, okay then.”  
As if that meant she wasn’t important, Emma realised as she watched the young girl prepare to fly away. “No, wait! Please…”  
Regina tilted her head as she considered. “I suppose, as she said ‘please’, I should listen to her Peter.”  
“I… I forbid it.”  
Regina laughed. “Really, Peter, you almost sound like a grownup. Forbid me, indeed… This is Neverland. Children can do whatever they want.”  
“But if she makes you remember, then you’ll leave.”  
“Why would I want to go?”  
“You have to trust me. Don’t listen to her.”  
Regina appeared to be wavering as Peter whispered to her. Emma realised there was only one way to get her attention, to get her to remember.  
“HENRY!”

Chapter 26.

Perhaps she didn’t need to shout his name so loudly. Peter winced as he heard it and turned to Regina, who was just standing there. Emma watched, waiting to see what she would say. The little girl with long, dark hair, just blinked back. Emma’s heart sank.  
“That’s it!” Peter turned to Emma, taking his dagger back out.  
He flew over, reaching down towards her feet where she wasn’t expecting an attack. In one swift motion he sliced away at her shadow…. and was thrown back in a blast of white light.  
“I guess if Cora couldn’t take my heart, you can’t take my shadow.” Emma told him.  
Regina helped Peter to his feet. “Why did you do that?”  
“Because she was trying to take you away from us. She doesn’t want the Lost Boys to have a mother.”  
“Oh, Peter…”  
“If the Lost Boys want a mother they can go to the mainland and get one. I don’t know what magic you’ve used on Regina to make her a child again…”  
“I didn’t have to use any magic.”  
“Don’t try to tell me Neverland turns grownups into children. I know Hook and the pirates stayed as adults when they were here.”  
“Ah, but they couldn’t believe anything else. Regina on the other hand… she began to believe she was one of us. She plays games and runs through the forest like a Lost Boy. Eventually she forgot who she was and became this way. Can’t you see how much happier she is now? Don’t you want her to be this way?”  
“But she’s not really a child…”  
“If you can believe it, in Neverland, anything is possible.”  
“What are you talking about?” Regina interrupted them.  
“Nothing.” Peter denied.  
“You.” Emma countered.  
Regina raised both her eyebrows and put her hands on her hips. “I want to know the truth.”  
“It will change you.” Peter warned her.  
“No it won’t. I know who I am.”  
“You need to think about it first. If you listen to Emma she’ll try and take you away. You’ll never see the Lost Boys or Neverland again.”  
“Never?”  
Peter shook his head. “She’ll make you want to grow up. Then you’ll have to leave.”  
“I don’t want to go. I like it here.”  
“You see?” Peter turned to Emma. “She’s made her choice.”  
“But we need her help.”  
“Then you shouldn’t have left her here. You abandoned her. You took everything away from her and she doesn’t owe you anything.”  
“I’ve saved her life a dozen times since we met. Just because she doesn’t remember Henry doesn’t mean that she wouldn’t want to help him, either.”  
“Actually, it does.” Peter told her with a smile. “She doesn’t remember him so she doesn’t feel anything when you say his name. Thank you. I was getting worried that there was still a chance she hadn’t completely forgotten him, but now I know I don’t have to worry anymore.”  
Emma walked towards Regina and knelt down in front of her. She could see the young girl was scared, but she was listening to their conversation with interest. Emma took Regina’s hands into her own.  
“Regina, I know you don’t remember Henry but he remembers you. He’s just a little boy and his life is in danger. I need your help to keep him safe.”  
“Don’t forget to tell her everything.” Peter crossed his arms. “Tell her who she was and what her life was like back there. Let her know what sort of life she can expect if she goes back to your land.”  
“What does he mean?”  
“It’s a long story.”  
“I want to know.”  
Emma looked up at Peter. “Are you going to try and stop me?”  
“No. I just want you gone.”  
“Come and join us for lunch.” Regina told her. “The Lost Boys like stories, they’ll want to hear yours.”  
Emma released Regina’s hands and stood up, brushing down her trousers to remove the forest debris.  
“Are you coming Peter?” Regina asked as he turned to leave.  
“I’ve got better things to do.” He flew away before they could stop him.  
Regina took Emma’s hand as she led her back through the forest. “It’s not far, the Lost Boys will be waiting for me.”  
-  
Emma nibbled her lower lip as she waited for Regina’s reaction to her story. She watched the ex-mayor bring her hand to her neck and pull a gold chain from under her t-shirt.  
“Daniel’s ring.” Emma whispered.  
Regina looked up at her. “I don’t remember him. The magic shows me his image but I couldn’t remember why, or even who he was.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
“Everything you’ve told me seems so sad. I understand why Peter didn’t want me to know. Part of me just wants to forget again, but another part knows that it’s important to do the right thing.”  
“You can’t go.” One of the Lost Boys piped up.  
“Yeah, Henry has a mother, her, and we don’t.” Another spoke.  
Then a third: “We need you.”  
Regina looked around at the familiar faces, the only family she knew. She shut her eyes tight as if trying to choose.  
A life where everyone hated her. Emma had been brutally honest about that. Did she owe them something to make up for the suffering she had caused? Could she put that amount of pain right?  
In Neverland she had freedom, friends, laughter. There was nothing to make amends for. She had a garden, she had Sammy, the Lost Boys and Peter.  
She had a son in Storybrooke. He now belonged to Emma.  
Regina stood, knocking over her chair. “I need time to think.”  
She raised her arms above her head and flew straight up into the air. It wasn’t a conscious choice to go home, but a few moments later and she found herself back at the cottage.  
Sammy looked happy to see her. She picked him up and went to sit on her bed, tucking her knees up towards her chest.  
“I wish you could tell me what to do. You always seem so wise.” She said, stroking him. “You know when to hide in your shell if there’s danger and when to come out for food.”  
He stretched his legs in the air and began to wave them around as if craving some exercise. Regina sighed, wanting to hold onto him but knowing it was important to give him his freedom. She gently placed him on the floor and lay on the edge of the bed, watching him crawling around. Suddenly she had an image of watching a small child similarly crawling around a different floor, giggling. It lasted just a few seconds and she couldn’t remember who it was or where.  
There was a knock on the door. 

Chapter 27.

“Coming.” She called out, watching her feet to make sure she didn’t accidentally step on Sammy.  
It was Peter. She invited him in and tried to see what he was holding behind his back when she realised he was keeping his hands out of sight.  
“I brought you something to help you make your decision.” He explained, holding out a bottle.  
Regina frowned. “A bottle?”  
“It contains the letter Henry sent to you. The one telling you he doesn’t want you back as his mother. He has Emma now and his father. I wasn’t sure if Emma would tell you the whole truth so I went back to the cave where you left it…”  
“Let me see it.” She held out her hand.  
Peter watched as she removed the cork and pulled out the sheets of paper. Regina sat back down on the bed as she skimmed through the words. He told her he was calling Emma his mother, thanking her for letting him go. He said they could move on and start their new lives without anyone getting hurt. Was that how he thought of her? As someone who would hurt others? He wanted her recipes, probably so his new mother could make them for him.  
Regina looked up at Peter, saw the look in his eyes and folded up the letter. She placed it back in the bottle and handed it to him.  
“Take it back to the caves. I’ve read enough. I’m staying.”  
“Yes!” Peter let out his infamous crow and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.  
Regina smiled at him. “I should go and tell Emma.”  
“Right. Of course. I’ll meet you there once I’ve returned this.” He shot out of the door, but not before one final look at her. “I’m so glad you’re staying.”  
When he had gone, she turned around, looking for Sammy. She could hear his shuffling footsteps coming from under the bed so she bent down and looked into the dark space.  
“Come on, time for me to go.” She called to him.  
When he didn’t appear she reached out under the bed. Her hand found something else. She pulled out the bottle and stared at it. When did that get there? It was probably another letter. Emma said she had sent lots of them. She didn’t remember putting it under the bed though. Had she read it?  
“Well, I guess if you’re not coming out I might as well read it while I wait.” She told Sammy, settling down on top on the bed.  
-  
Emma was getting restless. Peter had told her Regina had chosen to stay but she still hadn’t arrived.  
“Have you done something to her?” She finally asked him.  
“She doesn’t want to remember you or Henry. It was her choice. Just because you’ve lost…”  
“Regina!” One of the Lost Boys stood and pointed up at the sky.  
Emma and Peter turned to look. They watched as she came to land at the edge of the clearing and walked towards them. There was a brown satchel slung over one shoulder and she was carrying Sammy in her hands.  
“I’ve made my choice.” She said, looking at Sammy as she spoke.  
“I understand why you want to stay.” Emma told her.  
“I do. More than anything.”  
“So, off you go Emma.”  
“But…” Regina looked at Peter as she spoke, knowing she was about to hurt him. “That would be selfish.”  
“What?”  
The Lost Boys crowded around as they noticed the look on Peter’s face at her words. Emma’s hands itched realising that Regina might have changed her mind.  
“Emma, I still don’t have my memories so I need to know the truth. Is Henry really in danger?”  
“Yes.”  
Regina turned back to Peter as she tried to explain. “Then I have to do the right thing. I found one of Emma’s letters telling me what a man called Rumplestiltskin has done. Then I read the story I had started writing, about my life. If it’s true then I have done a lot of bad things in my life.”  
“This is your second chance, here. A new life, you can start all over again...” He began.  
Regina shook her head. “I need to make things right first. I took Emma away from her parents, I can’t take her away from Henry and let her risk her life that way.”  
“Let Rumplestiltskin fix it then.”  
“He lost his memory when he lost his powers, after the battle with you. With my magic I can track down any enemies he made for Henry and come back with a clear conscience. I can prove that I am a good person. I took revenge on people because I was hurt. They forgave me and gave me chances to become a good person again but I was selfish. I still wanted to make them suffer. In the end I lost sight of who I used to be. According to my story, Henry changed that. Changed me. I finally allowed myself to love again. He’s my son, I’m responsible for him. I would want to protect you or the Lost Boys if you were the ones in danger.”  
Emma blinked, realising that Regina seemed to be growing a little taller as she spoke. She wondered if she was beginning to remember. Peter had noticed it too, tilting his head slightly as he shouted back at her.  
“He’s not your son!”  
“Just because he doesn’t want to be, don’t mean I wanted to give up on him. I’m going to find a way to remember…”  
“You’re one of us.” He insisted. “You’re meant to be here.”  
Regina shook her head. “I guess I wouldn’t have been a good Lost Girl, even as a child. My mother allowed me to feel this kind of freedom… You never wanted me to be your mother either Peter.”  
“Stay. If you don’t want to be our mother, be our Queen. The Lost Queen. We need you here.”  
“I never wanted to be a Queen.” Regina now looked down at him from her adult height.  
“You lied to me.” He accused, taking a step back. “You aren’t supposed to leave.”  
“I never promised to stay Peter.”  
“You told us you’d be our mother. I’m the only one who remembers my mother. None of the other boys do.”  
“I can come back. They just need my help for a little while.”  
“You’ll forget us. You’ll be reunited with Henry and you won’t want to come back.”  
“I like it here. You don’t treat me like…. Everyone else treats me as their enemy, because of the things I did. Here I’m happy.”  
“Then stay. You don’t owe them anything.”  
“It’s not that simple.”  
“You don’t love us, but you think you can love him. He left you here, he doesn’t want you. We need you.”  
Regina had tears in her eyes and she couldn’t look at him. “I have to go.”  
“Then you can’t come back. Ever.”  
“It’s your decision.”  
“I mean it. I can make it so you can’t find Neverland ever again.”  
Peter stormed off and Regina let him go. She hoped he would come back, hoped this would be one of the times he would choose to forget the argument and return smiling and talking about other things. And in the same breath knew that he wouldn’t. She turned to the Lost Boys, wanting to give them all a hug and knowing that they wouldn’t allow it now. Not when Peter was banishing her.  
“Thank you for letting me be your mother. Wherever I am, if it’s in my power to do so, I will always keep my window open.” She told the Lost Boys. “All of you are welcome to come and see me, even Peter. Tell him that when I’ve gone. And if the window is closed, bang on it as loud as you can and I will come and find a way to open it. Even if I have to break it open.”  
She turned away and faced Emma. “I need to return Sammy to the beach. Then we can go.”  
“Ariel said she’d help me get back.”  
“If you’ll trust me I can do it.”  
“I trust you.”

Chapter 28.

Regina stood on the beach, watching as Sammy walked away.  
“What’s in the satchel?” Emma asked.  
“Just a few memories. Things to help me remember Neverland.”  
Emma nodded behind her. “I think they changed their minds.”  
“What?” Regina turned around, smiling as she saw the troop of Lost Boys walking towards them.  
She brushed away the tears welling up in her eyes as the sight and felt her heart ache, realising that they really did love her. Emma stepped to one side to give them some privacy. Some of the boys were crying, others pushed forward to give her little presents like a Neverland shell or flower they had found. She took them all and placed them carefully in her bag.  
“You’ll always be our mother.” A Lost Boy told her, quickly backed up by the others.  
Regina felt as though her heart was being ripped from her chest. She reached up for the comforting presence of Daniel’s ring, which could always sooth her.  
It was gone! Both the chain and the necklace. She looked around her on the ground in case it had fallen off.  
“What’s wrong?”  
“Daniel’s ring!”  
“Have you dropped it?”  
“I don’t know. I can’t leave without it.”  
“Of course not. We’ll go back and look. Where did you last have it?”  
“I can’t remember. You go to the cottage, I’ll…” Regina shook her head as she had another thought. “He wouldn’t, he knows….”  
“Who?”  
“Peter. He asked about the ring once. He stole it to make me stay.”  
One of the Lost Boys tugged at her arm to get her attention. “Perhaps he hid it, for one last game.”  
“Yeah. Come with us and we’ll have a treasure hunt.”  
Emma looked over at Regina. “How long will that take?”  
“It’s Peter island. Assuming he hasn’t asked the mermaids to hide it under water.”  
“Then we’ll find him and make him tell us where it is.”  
Regina laughed, but it was a sad sound, choked with her tears. “Even if we can find him and catch him, he might choose to forget so that he can’t tell us. If I want it back, I have to stay and find it. If I want to help Henry I have to leave it behind.”  
“I understand. I can’t ask you to leave without it, I know what it means to you.”  
“No. Peter doesn’t get to win this game.” Regina looked around, taking a moment to look at each of the Lost Boys. “I’m going with you, but once Henry is safe, I am coming back. Tell Peter, he can’t stop me from returning to Neverland.”  
They smiled at her.  
Emma put a hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure?”  
Regina straightened her shoulders and raised her chin. “Yes, and I promise to return to Neverland. I think Daniel would understand. Now, into the water. Time to get you home.”  
“Can’t we fly?”  
“The magic won’t last as long that way.”  
“We’d be dry.”  
“It’s warm enough once you start swimming.”  
“Actually, Ariel sort of pulled me along to get me here.”  
“You can’t swim?”  
“I can, a little, but not enough to swim all the way back to Storybrooke.”  
“I’m using the magic to make the journey shorter, that’s why it won’t last if we use it to make us fly as well.”  
“Oh.”  
Emma stepped into the water and Regina waved her hand so she was now wearing scuba outfit. A mask was on her head and an oxygen tank was strapped to her back.  
“Stopping to breathe would slow us down even more.”  
“Why not give us a boat so we don’t have to swim at all?”  
“A row boat is just as much magic as two sets of scuba gear but it takes more energy. Unless you’re willing to risk splinters and blisters on your hands doing all the rowing…”  
“Swimming will be fine.”  
“Good, then maybe we could skip any more arguments and just get going.”  
“I did think Peter might come to see you off.” Emma said slipping the mask over her eyes.  
Regina took a step into the water creating a scuba outfit for herself. “He’s probably watching and hiding.”  
“I don’t think I said it before, but thank you… for coming back to help.”  
“Just setting a good example for the Lost Boys. Now, let’s go save Henry. Again.”  
Emma took a few steps deeper into the water and allowed herself to fall forward into the waves. Regina slipped the mask over her eyes and went to follow, but a blur of green stopped her.  
“So you’re going to go without the ring?” Peter asked.  
Regina raised the mask to get a better look at him. “You haven’t given me a choice.”  
“Are you angry with me?”  
“No. I’m just upset. You know what it means to me and you still took it.”  
“If it’s that important you’d stay and try to find it.”  
“I don’t expect you to understand Peter, you’re just a child.”  
“I’m Peter Pan!”  
“Yes, and you’ll never grow up because you’re afraid of what being an adult means.”  
“I’m not afraid of growing up. I’m happy being a child, I don’t understand what the big deal is about becoming an adult. It’s silly to want to forget how to have fun.”  
“You’re scared of loving someone the way adults do and experiencing the painful side of love. Getting your heart broken isn’t something anyone wants, but it’s the only way you can truly know that you’ve experienced love. It lets you understand it in a new way.”  
“You think I should grow up, don’t you?”  
“Actually, no. Peter, you are the one person who should stay young, because it’s important to so many people. You’re famous in the Storybrooke world. There children dream about you, adults read your story and remember dreaming about you as children. People there need something to dream so they can wake up in a better life. I never got to be a child, but you’ve given me that. When I return to Storybrooke, and when I’m travelling through the different lands, I’ll remember having a childhood here.”  
Peter held out his hand, allowing the gold chain to dangle in front of her. “Here, take it. You’re right, I don’t know about broken hearts, but I know it would be wrong to keep this. I thought you’d stay to find it and I would have given it back once you’d forgotten Henry again. I didn’t want to hurt you.”  
Regina looked longingly at the ring at the end of the chain, and shook her head. “You keep it. I promised the Lost Boys I would come back for it. Keep it safe for me until I return.”  
“But I banished you.”  
Regina laughed. “You made me the Lost Boys mother. I’m coming back.”  
“Promise?”  
“I…” Regina took a deep breath. “I will be honest with you. I don’t know how dangerous this is going to be. I might not survive… If I don’t, then the Lost Boys will forget me anyway.”  
“You’re magic is strong, you’ll be fine.”  
“There’ll be no way for me to let you know if something happens. I don’t know how long this will take, but I promise if I survive I will come back.”  
“I’ll keep the ring safe until then. It will help me remember you.”  
“Thank you.”  
Regina knew Peter found goodbyes hard, so she began walking into the water, hoping Emma hadn’t started swimming too far ahead. She didn’t look back as she put the mask back on and dove into the water. Stretching her arms out in front of her, she took a moment to admire the way the threads of sunlight coming through blurred her skin, making it appear softer. Then she saw Emma, treading water ahead as she waited and kicked her legs to move her forward.  
“Stay right next to me.” Regina told her, using magic to allow the words to be heard. “I’m creating a bubble around us to help push through the water and shorten the journey. If you’re not close enough you’ll get left behind.”  
“How long until we get back?”  
“I don’t know. If you get tired, tell me and we can take a break.”  
“Okay. I’m glad Peter came to say goodbye.”  
“Just swim.” Regina told her.  
They had a long journey ahead. She had some fairy dust for once they reached the barrier, but she wasn’t sure how far close to Storybrooke that would take them.  
-  
AN: To be continued in a new story, titled: “Regina’s Quest”…


End file.
